1. Field of the Invention
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to an electronic component supply apparatus that transports a component supply tape having an accommodation section in which an electronic component is accommodated and that supplies the electronic component to a component mounting apparatus and a method of processing an electronic component tape in the electronic component supply apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
As an electronic component supply apparatus of a component mounting apparatus that mounts an electronic component on a substrate, a tape feeder that supplies electronic components in a mode of a component supply tape having a pocket-like accommodation section, in which the electronic component is accommodated, is widely used. The component supply tape is set to a state of being wound and accommodated on a reel and having a predetermined length, and a mounting head of the component mounting apparatus picks up the electronic component from the component supply tape transported to a component picking-up position by the tape feeder. Then, when the component supply tape accommodated on one reel is completely unwound, reel replacement is performed, in which a new reel is set and the next component supply tape is additionally supplied.
In the reel replacement, discharging a preceding component supply tape, from which the final component is picked up, that is, “empty tape discharge”, or sending the leading component of a subsequently supplied component supply tape to the component picking-up position, that is, “heading of component”, is performed by an operator. In order to enhance operation efficiency through significant laborsaving in such reel replacement, various measures have been taken in the related art (see Patent Document 1, for instance). Patent Document 1 discloses a related art, as an example, in which, after a terminal end portion of a preceding component supply tape is detected, whether or not an electronic component is present in an accommodation section (pocket) of the component supply tape is detected in response to a suction nozzle of a mounting head performing or not performing suction of a component and, when it is determined that there is no electronic component from the detection result, the preceding depleted component supply tape is rapidly discharged from the tape feeder.
Patent Document 1 is JP-A-2014-11291.